Operational Stress Injuries in
the Ontario Provincial Police
Dr. Dianne Groll
Military Mental Health Research Symposium
May 3rd 2016
Faculty/Presenter Disclosure

Faculty: Dr. Dianne Groll

Relationships with commercial interests:
None
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Disclosure of Commercial Support

This program has received financial support from
the Tema Conter Memorial Trust and the Queen’s
University Department of Psychiatry in the form of
an operating grant.

This program has received in-kind support from –
N/A

Potential for conflict(s) of interest:

3
none
Mitigating Potential Bias

4
There is no potential bias to report.
Background
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In October 2012 the Ombudsman of Ontario, released “In the
Line of Duty,” an investigation into how the Ontario Provincial
Police and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional
Services have addressed Operational Stress Injuries affecting
police officers.

The report made 34 recommendations – two of which are:

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that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ministry of
Community Safety and Correctional Services conduct a
confidential survey of all its officers on Operational Stress Injuries
Operational Stress Injury
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The term “Operational Stress Injury (OSI)” refers to a
cluster of illnesses and has been defined as "any persistent
psychological difficulty experienced as a result of
operational duties including, but not limited to:
 depression,
 anxiety,
 addictions,
 chronic pain,
 and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Methodology

A survey of over 425 questions was developed sent by e-mail to all
serving uniformed police officers (OMP and OPP), and civilian
employees within the services

This study was endorsed by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police,
and the following members of the WSIB PTSD Working Group:



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Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB)
Police Association of Ontario (PAO)
Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA)
Toronto Police Association (TPA)
Ontario Senior Officers Police Association (OSOPA)
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS).
Survey Questions

Survey questions were primarily taken directly from the
Statistics Canada 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey –
Mental Health (CCHS – MH) and the 2002 Canadian Forces
Mental Health Survey.

Questions covering areas such as physical and psychological
abuse, PTSD, substance use, anxiety, depression, suicide, and
stigma. Operational and Occupational Police Stressors*, and
potentially traumatic situations.
*McCreary DR and Thompson MM, International Journal of Stress Management 2006. 13 (4). 494-518.
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Responses
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
34,292 individual invitations were sent out to all OPP
detachments and all 57 Ontario police services.

14,702 individuals ‘responded’ to the survey, an overall
response rate of 42.9%

2,840 of 6,044 OPP serving officers responded (response rate
of 47%).
DEMOGRAPHICS
Variable
OPP Survey
Responders
Serving OPP
Male (%)
77.1
79.4
Female (%)
22.9
20.5
27.0
46.4
25.2
1.1
33.8
43.6
21.4
1.1
22.3
30.9
39.4
7.5
32.7
35.9
27.5
3.8
Age (%)
20 – 39
40 – 49
50 – 59
60+
Years of Service
<5 – 9
10 – 19
20 – 29
30+
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Screening Questions
Percent
Would you say your general health/physical health/mental health is... ?
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
General
Physical
Mental
Excellent
11
Very
Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Percent
How do you feel about your life as a
whole right now?
12
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Stress
13
What is the number one contributor to stress in
your day-to day life?
25
Percent
20
15
10
5
0
14
Time pressures
Work
Finances
Personal or
family
responsibilities
Relationships
Operational Stress
The Police Operational Stress Questionnaire is a 20 item list of stressors related to
the job of Policing. Items are rated on a scale of 1 = no stress to 7= a lot of
stress. The following are the top five identified stressors.
Item
Rank
Fatigue (resulting from shift work, overtime)
1
Shift work
2
Occupation-related health issues (eg back pain)
3
Paperwork
4
Not enough time to spend with friends and family
5
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Organizational Stress
The Police Organizational Stress Questionnaire is a 20 item list of stressors relating to
Police experiences within an organization. Each item is rated on a scale of 1 = no
stress to 7= a lot of stress. The following are the top five identified stressors.
Item
Rank
Bureaucratic red tape
1
Staff shortages
2
Inconsistent leadership style
3
The feeling that different rules apply to different people (e.g.
favoritism)
4
Feeling like you always have to prove yourself to the
organization
16
5
Operational Stress Injuries
Operational Stress Injury
Last 12 months (%)
Lifetime
(%)
Major Depressive Disorder
7.5
24.3
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
2.9
11.1
PTSD (PCL-M)
6.1
11.1
5 drinks or more on one or more occasions 10.8
at least once a month
11.1
Suicidal Ideation - Have you ever seriously
thought about taking your own life?
9.9
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Individuals with PTSD
Are more likely to:
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Be less satisfied with life
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Report poorer mental health

State that they have seriously thought about taking their
own life

Meet the criteria for a major depressive disorder in the
past 12 months
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Meet the criteria for a major anxiety disorder in the past
12 months
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Report more stress in their lives
Help
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During the past 12 months have you seen, or talked on the phone to, any of
the following people about problems with your emotions, mental health, or
use of alcohol or drugs?
Individual
% yes
Psychiatrist
2.9
Family Doctor or GP
10.4
Psychologist
4.3
Nurse
1.3
Social worker, counselor, psychotherapist
7.5
Family member
12.5
Friend
11.3
Co-worker, supervisor, or boss
7.0
Conclusions
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In general, the majority of serving OPP members
report excellent, very good or good general, physical
and mental health.
Most are satisfied with their life right now

The percent of individuals with an OSI are similar to
the CAF, but further analysis is needed.

Detailed examination of relationships between
variables is ongoing.
Limitations
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
This is not a randomized study, so generalizations may
not be possible.
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This is a cross-sectional study so no causality can be
determined

We do not currently have information on members who
have retired or left the service.
Acknowledgements

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The other members of the research team:

Dr. Randy Boddam (Queen’s University),

Mr. Stan French (Nipissing University), and

Ms Sharon Chin (Candor College).
We would also like to gratefully acknowledge funding from
the:

Tema Conter Memorial Trust http://www.tema.ca/

Queen’s University Department of Psychiatry